Google V. Microsoft – A Shot Across The Bow

Google today announced they are officially releasing Google Apps for corporate purchase. At just $50 per user per year it’s a fraction of the price for Microsoft Office. Microsoft has hundreds of millions of Office customers, so it’s not time to call it all over just yet. But this is the first shot across the bow for Google in what will be a long campaign. What makes Google especially fit for the battle is their monetary power. Few competitors have been able to outlast Microsoft financially, but Google has funds to pull it off. Microsoft won the “browser war” against Netscape. Now get ready for round two, the Office war. This time, however, Google is a much stronger player than Netscape.